Viral Shedding and Antibody Response in 37 Patients With Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infection.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus causes isolated cases and outbreaks of severe respiratory disease. Essential features of the natural history of disease are poorly understood.

Methods

We studied 37 adult patients infected with MERS coronavirus for viral load in the lower and upper respiratory tracts (LRT and URT, respectively), blood, stool, and urine. Antibodies and serum neutralizing activities were determined over the course of disease.

Results

One hundred ninety-nine LRT samples collected during the 3 weeks following diagnosis yielded virus RNA in 93% of tests. Average (maximum) viral loads were 5 × 10(6) (6 × 10(10)) copies/mL. Viral loads (positive detection frequencies) in 84 URT samples were 1.9 × 10(4) copies/mL (47.6%). Thir

SUBMITTER: Corman VM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7108065 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature